By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com
In a dramatic reversal, House Republicans have revived and advanced the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — a 1,100-page reconciliation package that aims to reshape the tax code, slash federal programs, and raise the national debt ceiling. The bill, initially rejected in committee on May 16, was narrowly revived days later after a flurry of behind-the-scenes negotiations, exposing rifts within the GOP between fiscal hawks, MAGA loyalists, and political pragmatists.
What’s in the New Bill
Tax Cuts Extended
The bill makes Trump-era tax cuts permanent and adds temporary deductions for tips and overtime. Despite the working-class messaging, the top 1% would receive nearly a quarter of the total benefit (Tax Policy Center).
Delayed Medicaid Cuts
It includes $880 billion in Medicaid and anti-poverty cuts, mostly delayed. One provision penalizes states that provide coverage to undocumented immigrants, even with state funds.
$4 Trillion Debt Limit Hike
To prevent default, the bill raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. Moody’s responded by downgrading the U.S. credit rating, citing the lack of a credible long-term fiscal plan.
The Real Math
While Republicans tout this as a “fiscally responsible” solution, multiple independent models disagree. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimate the bill will add between $3.3 trillion and $4.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade — depending on whether its temporary provisions become permanent (as is often the case in Washington).
➡️ CRFB Source
What TX-03 Deserve to Know
Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), who represents Texas’ 3rd Congressional District, initially supported the bill — then hedged. On May 15, he posted on social media:
“It’s time to pass President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. We must cut spending, extend the tax cuts, and get this economy back on track.”
But days later, after the revised version passed out of committee, Self shifted his stance:
“While I support passing President Trump’s agenda in the One, Big Beautiful Bill, Congress has more work to do. I remain a NO,” Self said on X.
That leaves TX-03 voters in an awkward spot. Rep. Keith Self talks a big game about deficit reduction — yet the bill he supported slashes revenue, delays meaningful spending cuts, and risks pushing the national debt into uncharted territory.
For a district like ours — one of the wealthiest in Texas, with a median household income of $118,298 — the top earners may see real gains from the extended Trump tax cuts. But for most TX-03 households, the benefit is far more modest. A family earning the median income might save about $1,420 a year, according to estimates from the Tax Policy Center.
Make less than that — say, $80,000 or below, which still includes thousands of working families in McKinney, Princeton, and parts of Plano — and your savings might only amount to a few hundred dollars. That’s assuming you don’t also lose access to health coverage or critical local services in the process.
Here’s the real trade-off: that $1,420 or less in relief comes at the cost of adding up to $4.6 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. That’s not fiscal responsibility — that’s a short-term sugar rush with a long-term price tag, wrapped in the language of reform.
And when the temporary deductions for tips and overtime expire in 2028, even that modest benefit could vanish. Meanwhile, the bill’s delayed Medicaid cuts may begin to strain local hospitals and emergency services across Collin County. When that happens, we all pay — in longer ER waits, reduced access to care, and higher community costs — whether we got a tax break or not.
But we want to cut the deficit you say…
Let’s pretend this was really about fiscal responsibility — not theater. A serious bill might do the following:
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Let the Trump tax cuts expire for millionaires and big corporations – that alone could save $4.6 trillion over a decade. Even if you preserve the cuts for households earning under $100K, you’d still save a massive amount and protect the middle class.
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Trim defense spending, which now exceeds $850 billion a year. National security matters — but we already spend more than the next nine countries combined. We don’t need to fund the Pentagon like it’s building a sequel to Star Wars.
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Fully fund the IRS to go after real tax cheats — the ones with yachts, not the barista who forgot to report a Venmo tip.
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Tackle entitlement reform responsibly, with both parties in the room — not one skipping the meeting while the other shows up with a chainsaw and says, “Trust me,” like Elon at a budget hearing.
Now, let’s be honest — if we can’t even talk about taxing the rich or trimming the defense budget, the two biggest ways to cut the deficit, are we really trying to fix anything? Or are we just playing dress-up with the word “responsible”?
Bottom Line for TX-03
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” is a branding triumph — but a policy contradiction. It talks tough on fiscal responsibility while handing out tax breaks that mostly benefit the top. And despite the messaging, most TX-03 residents will see little in return — unless you count rising debt and strained local services.
We’ll keep following this story. Because what Congress does behind closed doors does affect what happens in Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and every corner of this district.
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Editor’s Note: This article includes reported facts and editorial analysis. TX3DNews.com is an independent, nonpartisan local news outlet covering issues relevant to Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. We reached out to Rep. Keith Self’s office for comment prior to publication and will update this story if a response is received. TX3DNews does not endorse candidates.